Diesel Progress North American Edition articles from January 2002

Diesel Progress North American Edition archives from January 2002

Low hanging fruit. (Top Dead Center).(shakeout looms in hot electric generator market)
January 1, 2002... There is little doubt that power generation is going to be one of the baseline engine markets for at least the rest of this decade and likely beyond. The fundamentals are simple. Our need for quality electricity has passed absolute. If the...

Rubber track loaders are catching on in North America. (Trendlines).(Industry Overview)
January 1, 2002... For the sake of simplicity, I will call the subject of this discussion rubber track loaders. They go by many names, depending on who makes them. One company calls them "rubber-tracked, all-purpose crawlers' while another calls them...

The acquisition of Mannesmann Sachs by ZF Friedrichshafen AG has been approved by the EU Commission. (International Report).(Brief Article)
January 1, 2002... The acquisition of Mannesmann Sachs by ZF Friedriclishafen AG has been approved by the EU Commission. Under the structure of the acquisition, Sachs will continue under the name ZF Sachs AG as a joint stock company owned by ZF Friedrichshafen...

Ishikawajima-Harima Heavy Industries Co. Ltd. (IHI). (International Report).(forms joint venture with Toyota Motor Corp. to make diesel turbochargers)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2002... Japan's Ishikawajima-Harima Heavy Industries Co. Ltd. (IHI), will form a joint venture to make diesel turbochargers in Thailand with Toyota Motor Corp. The new company to be 90 percent owned by IHI and 10 percent by Toyota, will begin...

Bosch Diesel s.r.o. (International Report).(expanding production capacity and introducing new diesel fuel system)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2002... Bosch Diesel s.r.o. is expanding the production capacity and introducing a new generation of its common rail diesel fuel system at its plant in Jihlava, Czech Republic, according to CzechInvest, the Ministry of Industry and Trade's agency for...

Denso Corp., parent company of Southfield, Mich.-based Denso International America, Inc. (International Report).(consolidating Australian manufacturing operations)
January 1, 2002... Denso Corp., parent company of Southfield, Mich.-based Denso International America, Inc., will consolidate its Australian manufacturing operations by transferring production of instrument clusters from Flexdrive Industries Limited (FDI),...

Nissan Diesel Motor Co Ltd. (International Report).(dissolves Philippine tourist bus joint venture)
January 1, 2002... Japanese heavy truck maker Nissan Diesel Motor Co Ltd. reported it has dissolved its tourist bus manufacturing joint venture in the Philippines as of December 31 due to shrinking demand for tourist buses in the country. Nissan Diesel...

Vermeer takes big step in directional drills.(Vermeer Manufacturing Co. introduces D150x300 Navigator horizontal direction drill)
January 1, 2002... In a move to expand its product line and offer its customers a more powerful unit, Vermeer Manufacturing Co. has introduced the Vermeer D150x300 Navigator horizontal direction drill (HDD). Powered by a Caterpillar C-12 diesel engine rated 400...

Dateline.(Calendar)
January 1, 2002... January * Jan 9-12 World of Concrete, Morial Convention Center, New Orleans, Louisiana. The Aberdeen Group/Hanley-Wood, LLC, 426 South Westgate Street, Addison, II 60101. Tel: (630) 543-0870. Fax: (630) 543-3112. ...

Right angle transaxle targets ZTR equipment. (Powertrain).
January 1, 2002... The Hydraulics Operations of Eaton Corp. has announced the release of a right angle transaxle designed primarily for commercial zero-turn radius walk-behind and riding mowers. Eaton's Light Duty Hydrostatic model 781 transaxle is typically...

Lower fuel prices bring mixed signals and blessings. (Street Smarts).(consumers enjoy relief but new technologies suffer from depressed prices)(Column)
January 1, 2002... So what's wrong with imploding oil prices, with gasoline that is 60 percent lower than this time last year? The national average is quoted at $1.05 per gallon, with a low of $0.78 per gallon right now. The national average price of diesel fuel...

Electric Fuel Corp. (Alternatives).(demonstrates zero-emission electric bus)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2002... Electric Fuel Corp. completed a successful on-road demonstration of its zero-emission electric bus in Las Vegas last month. Electric Fuel said that it is now preparing for the next planned phase in its zero-emission transit bus program, which...

General Motors. (Alternatives).(GM introduces Chevy Silverado and GMC Sierra ethanol option)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2002... General Motors said the Chevrolet Silverado and GMC Sierra are the industry's first full-size pickup trucks that will be available with the option to operate on ethanol (E85) fuel. E85, a renewable fuel made from starch crops such as corn,...

Donaldson Co. (Alternatives).(signs development contract with Japanese automaker)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2002... Donaldson Co. said it had entered a major development contract with a leading Japanese automobile manufacturer to apply fuel cell-filtration science to fuel cell-powered automobiles, helping accelerate their commercialization. The automaker was...

John Deere. (Alternatives).(reaffirms confidence in biodiesel)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2002... John Deere has issued a formal warranty statement reaffirming the company's long-standing confidence in biodiesel. The statement officially approves the use of soy-based biodiesel that meets national standards in all of its diesel-powered...

Fabco and Sisu sign axle pact: deal is for front and rear hub reduction axles for heavy vocational trucks, plus specialty vehicles. (Industry News).(Fabco Automotive Corp. becomes official North American representative for Sisu Axles)
January 1, 2002... Finland's Sisu Axles and Fabco Automotive Corp. have announced an agreement whereby Fabco becomes the official representative in North America for Sisu front and rear hub reduction axles, effective immediately. According to Al Sunderland,...

Perkins launches new off-highway engine: 1.0 L/cyl 1100 series diesel designed to address emissions legislation 15 months ahead of schedule; a base for future developments. (Industry News).
January 1, 2002... The worldwide launch of Perkins' new 1100 series diesel engine represents a significant milestone for the Peterborough, England-based division of Caterpillar. The 1.0 L/cyl engine is aimed at replacing the workhorse 1000 series, and is...

Manitowac Crane Group creates leadership team. (Newsmakers).(Brief Article)
January 1, 2002... Manitowac Crane Group has created a leadership team to oversee its worldwide operations. Jean-Yves Bouffault remains Potain's chief executive officer, and has been named executive vice president for Manitowac Crane Group, responsible for...

Denison Hydraulics. (Newsmakers).(Michael Beals and David Ebert)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2002... Michael Beals -- to product manager of the Denison-Calzoni line of hydraulic motors at Denison Hydraulics and will be responsible for the sales and support of the product. Denison Hydraulics has named David Ebert as its vane and valve products...

SAE. (Newsmakers).(Raymond Morris new Executive VP and Secretary)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2002... Raymond Morris -- to executive vice president and secretary at SAE. Morris will become only the fifth chief staff officer in the history of the mobile engineering society and has worked with the company since 1974.

Champion Laboratories Inc. (Newsmakers).(appoints Mark Page director of aftermarket sales and marketing)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2002... Mark Page -- to director of aftermarket sales and marketing at Champion Laboratories Inc., responsible for all automotive, light truck, commercial, and special market sales and marketing in the U.S. and Canada.

Ford Power Products. (Business Notes).(Brief Article)
January 1, 2002... Ford Power Products (FPP), has expanded the sales territory of its Texas-based distributor, LightbournEquipment Co., adding territory in southern Arkansas and central Mississippi. Lightbourn is the distributor of Ford Power Products' industrial...

Modine Manufacturing Co. (Newsmakers).(Paul Byrne appointed director of worldwide truck sales)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2002... Paul Byrne -- to director of worldwide truck sales at Modine Manufacturing Co., responsible for facilitating the development of engine-cooling and climate control programs for Modines key customer partners in the truck market.

ZF Sachs AG. (Newsmakers).(Brief Article)
January 1, 2002... Hans-Georg Harter -- to group executive of ZF Sachs AG, responsible for ZF Sachs activities in four business units; powertrain, chassis, rubber-metal and commercial sales.

A skid-steer that doesn't skid? Newest Bobcat offers four-wheel steer capability; innovation may open up new application areas. (Industry News).
January 1, 2002... There is no more versatile machine in the mobile equipment marketplace than the skid-steer loader. And with typical yearly sales in excess of 60,000 units, it's clear that these machines, seen by many as the Swiss Army knife of construction...

Light towers shine on: reduced inventories and daylight savings keep machines in demand; Sept. 11 spurred demand on East Coast. (Industry News).(Industry Overview)
January 1, 2002... Despite a slowing economy and the state of American commerce in the wake of Sept. 11, things in the light tower business are still relatively bright -- or at least brighter than they are in most other segments of the engine-powered equipment...

New controller for automatic transmissions. (Controls).(Quadrastat Corp.)
January 1, 2002... Responding to what it said are needs for additional safety and performance features, Quadrastat Corp. has introduced a new controller that is targeted at automatic transmissions used in selected on-highway applications. The Pomona, Calif.,...

I-R's powerworks goes commercial. (Distributed Power Update).(Ingersoll-Rand Energy Systems gearing up commercial production of 70 kW microturbine)
January 1, 2002... All microturbines are not designed the same, which is what has Ingersoll-Rand Energy System's PowerWorks breaking the mold on microturbine design. After years of testing and design modifications, the Portsmouth, N.H.-based company is now in the...

The role of UPS technology in distributed generation. (Distributed Power Update).(uninterruptible power supplies)
January 1, 2002... All industries pay a high price for downtime and strive to maintain facilities at peak operating efficiency, regardless of outside conditions. This continues to be the "Grail quest" for industrial plant managers. Recent advancements in...

JLG Industries Inc. (Newsmakers).(Israel Celli to VP sales)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2002... Israel Celli--to vice president of international sales at JLG Industries Inc., responsible for all international sales, sales support, marketing and service operations for Europe, Asia and developing markets.

Webasto Thermosystems. (Newsmakers).(Joe Kirby to group director position)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2002... Joe Kirby--to truck group director for Webasto Thermosystems, responsible for leading the group in serving truck OEMs, distributors, fleets and owner operators.

GKN Sinter Metals. (Newsmakers).(Peter Kissel to plant manager, Germany)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2002... Peter Kissel--to plant manager in Bad Bruckenau, Germany, for GKN Sinter Metals, responsible for all plant operations at the facility. He will report directly to the vice president of manufacturing.

Degussa Corp. (Newsmakers).(Jack Clem to VP of carbon black business)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2002... Jack Clem--to vice president of Carbon Black for the NAFTA region at Degussa Corp., responsible for business performance and strategic growth for Degussa's North American carbon black business covering all of North American operations, sales...

Rockford Powertrain Inc. (Powerlines).(marketing agreement with Universal Technical Services)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2002... Rockford Powertrain Inc. has announced a new sales representative relationship with Universal Technical Services, a Greenville, South Carolina, power transmission sales and design firm. Universal Technical Services will represent Rockford's...

Eaton Corp. and Dana Corp. (Powerlines).(launching e-commerce)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2002... Eaton Corp. and Dana Corp. have launched their first e-commerce initiative for Roadranger customers with a virtual store on the Internet. The Roadranger store will only feature two products at the beginning, including the Roadranger Driveline...

Diesel Technology Forum. (Powerlines).(website launched focusing on clean diesel solutions)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2002... The Diesel Technology Forum launched a website, www.dieselforum.org, focusing on clean diesel solutions to reduce emissions from existing diesel engines. The web site will provide basic program information and real-life examples of success...

Grove. (Powerlines).(distribution agreement with Kirby-Smith Machinery Inc.)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2002... Grove has announced the appointment of Kirby-Smith Machinery Inc. as the Grove Crane distributor for Eastern Missouri and portions of Central and South Central Illinois. Kirby-Smith will be responsible for all sales, parts and service for Grove...

General Dynamics Land Systems. (Powerlines).(selects Donaldson Company Inc. for clean air systems)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2002... General Dynamics Land Systems has selected Donaldson Company Inc. to develop and manufacture prototype and preproduction Pulse Jet Air Cleaner filtration systems for the U.S. Army Abrams-Crusader Common Engine Program (ACCE). The objective of...

Caterpillar Agricultural Products Inc. (Powerlines).(selects BEELINE Technologies Inc. guidance technology)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2002... Caterpillar Agricultural Products Inc. selected BEELINE Technologies Inc. as the global supplier of guidance technology for use in the Caterpillar Auto Guide Navigation System for the challenger MT700 Series agricultural tractors.

Sure Power joint venture to serve international markets. (Distributed Power Update).
January 1, 2002... Sure Power Corp., Danbury, Conn., and London-based High-Point Rendel plc, have launched a joint venture to market and sell patented SurePower on-site electricity generation systems to businesses worldwide. The systems act as primary power...

JCB launches 14 ton articulated dump truck in North America. (Construction Equipment).
January 1, 2002... JCB Inc. has introduced a new articulated truck as the first of a new generation of JCB trucks to be made available in North American construction equipment markets. The 14 ton capacity 714 articulated dump truck is targeted at hauling...

A loader all its own: Buhler unveils first compact wheel loader of its own design; B56 targets space-restricted applications.
January 1, 2002... Buhler Manufacturing, a 68-year-old manufacturer of ag equipment first entered the wheel loader market in 1998 and became the exclusive North American distributor for Weidemann wheel loaders of Germany Recently, the company took a major step...

World of Concrete. (Powerlines).(to be held each year in Las Vegas, Nevada, starting in 2005)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2002... World of Concrete and the Las Vegas Convention & Visitors Authority have announced that beginning in 2005, World of Concrete will be held annually in the Las Vegas Convention Center. The show previously rotated between Las Vegas in...

LBX Company. (Powerlines).(Brief Article)
January 1, 2002... LBX Company appointed R.B. Everett & Company as the authorized distributor of link-belt excavators, articulated trucks, timber loaders and material handlers in the Houston, Texas, area.

Something EX-tra from Robin: new EX series engines first overhead cam engines in Robin Subaru lineup; chain-driven cam, pent-roof design borrowed from automotive engines. (Gasoline Engines).
January 1, 2002... It is generally understood that many of the most significant advances in engine technology has come from the automotive sector. And companies with ties to automotive engine builders often are the beneficiaries of those advances. The latest...

The case for cartridge valve technology. (Hydraulic Systems Trends).
January 1, 2002... In our last discussion, we addressed developments and trends in mobile equipment hydraulic valves technology The emphasis was on spool valves, but now, let's focus on cartridge valves and how they relate to spool valves. Basically, they perform...

GM Powertrain expands engine line. (Industrial Engines).(Brief Article)
January 1, 2002... GM Powertrain has announced the availability of a 1.6 L, single overhead cam engine to the industrial engine markets. The Vortec 1600 engine, an in-line four-cylinder, is adaptable for use with gasoline, liquid propane (LP) or compressed...

A step up for Briggs & Stratton: company adds 27 hp liquid-cooled V-twin to Vanguard commercial line; first B&S-designed liquid-cooled engine. (Gasoline Engines).
January 1, 2002... For most of its nearly 90 year history, Briggs & Stratton has been known as a manufacturer of air-cooled engines for commercial and consumer applications. About a decade ago, the company made its first foray into the liquid-cooled engine...

Deutz launches 2012 diesel: Tier 2 successor to 1012 moves into key 1.0 L/cyl off-highway markets as Deutz readies line for emissions. (Industry News).
January 1, 2002... With an eye on the highly competitive 1.0 L/cyl off-highway engine markets, Deutz Corp. is introducing the new 2012 diesels, the Tier 2 successors to its 1012 models. Targeted at a variety of mobile off-highway applications, the launch of...

Module gauge system. (Products).(automotive)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2002... Smiths Instruments has developed a modular gauge system that locks together into virtually any vehicle dashboard shape, the company said. According to the company, this product can operate in temperatures ranging from -22[degrees]F to...

Angular sensors. (Products).(Brief Article)
January 1, 2002... Caldaro has introduced an angular sensor called the KSM22. The KSM22 is built on a patented technology and has an analogue output after it has been loaded with 3, 5 or 10 Vd.c., the company said. The sensor is 22 mm in diameter and is available...

Aluminum fans. (Products).(Crowley Co.)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2002... Crowley Co. has designed the Multi-Wing Aluminum H&Z series fans that feature an airfoil blade design to produce high air volume, low power consumption and low noise, the company said. The hubs and blades are made of die cast aluminum and are...

Engine tachometer. (Products).(Ono Sokki Technology Inc.)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2002... Ono Sokki Technology has introduced the SE-1100 noncontact engine techometer, that employs a ignition spark detection method. The SE-1100 is able to read rpm in seconds by just pointing and shooting. Various settings can be selected such as...

A generator that cuts grass. (Power Generation).(Briggs and Stratton Corp.'s PowerLink system)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2002... In yet another example of the potential flexibility of power generation technology, Briggs & Stratton has developed a system by which the engine on a riding lawn mower can be used to generate 1.5 kW of a.c. current. The new PowerLink system is...

Caterpillar Inc. (Business Notes).(to sell Challenger tractors to AGCO Corp. in marketing agreement)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2002... Caterpillar Inc. has agreed to sell its new MT line of Challenger tractors to AGCO Carp., in a move some are calling Cat's exit from agricultural equipment manufacturing. Under the agreement, AGCO, acquires the rights to design, assemble and...

Sauer-Danfoss Inc. (Business Notes).(acquires Thrige-Titan Electric A/S)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2002... Sauer-Danfoss Inc. has signed a letter of intent to purchase the low voltage motor business of Thrige Electric. The transaction is expected to close in early 2002. Terms of the agreement were not disclosed. The low voltage motor business of...

Dana Corp. (Business Notes).(restructures business units)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2002... Dana Corp. has provided more details to what it has termed "the most extensive restructuring that Dana has ever undertaken," including its intentions to reduce its current seven business units to five and close or consolidate 30 facilities...

Caterpillar has reorganized its truck engine division. (Business Notes).(Brief Article)
January 1, 2002... Caterpillar has reorganized its truck engine division. The changes include a new name for the group, which is now known as the Caterpillar On-Highway Engine Division. The company's field operations division has been split into east and west...

Parker Hannifin Corp. (Business Notes).(acquires ITR S.p.A. operations)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2002... Parker Hannifin Corp. announced an agreement to acquire operations of ITR SpA, a subsidiary of the SAIAG Group, for $68 million. ITR is an Italian manufacturer of hose, fittings and rubber compounds for hydraulic, industrial and oil/gas...

Hyundai Motor Co. (Business Notes).(to sell trucks in U.S. in 2002)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2002... South Korea's Hyundai Motor Co. said it will begin selling commercial trucks in the United States in 2002. The first products will be light-duty and medium-duty trucks. Hyundai said it plans to expand its commercial product line by 2004 using...